Improvement in car-couplings



Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. BISHOP. cAn-coupnzm.

Patented Feb. `1, 1876.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS Y NFTERB. PHOTOIJTMOGRPHER. WASHlNGfON. D. c4

lUNITED STATES .WILLIAM BIsHo'r, or MAnsHAL-LTOWN, IOWA.

PATENT FTIGE IMPRQVEMENTIN AR-ConPLlNc-s.

Specication forming part of Letters PatentNo. i72',9 58, dated February 1, J1876; application filed Juue 5,1s15 ,L

To all whom Ait may concern: l i' Be it known that I, WILLIAM BISHOP, o i Marshalltown, in the countyot' Marshall and: State ot' Iowa, have invented afnew and val-l vuable Improvement in Coupling for High and' Low Gars; andI do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and' exact description of thecon'struction andoperation ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawings making apart of this specification, and 'to' the letters and igures of referencev marked there- Figure lof the drawings is a representation of a longitudinal vertical section ofl my coup- 1ing, and Fig. 2 is aplan view of the same.

Figs. 3 and-1E are 4side views, and Figs. 5 and 6 sectional detail views. Fig. 7 is aside View of my coupling, and Fig. 8 is van end-'view'of my improved coupler.

This vinvention has relation to improvements in automatic car-couplers; and the nature of the invention consists in a vertically-vibrating draw-bar, an eccentrically-moun ted cylindrical lifter arranged under the former, whereby it may be raised or lowered for the purpose of adapting it to couple with cars of different heights. It furthermore consists in combining, with a vertically-vibrating draw-bar, and

' a rot-ating lifter for adjusting the sa'me, a

ratchet-Wheel and a pawl for holding the drawbar to its proper adjustment when obtained.

It consists, also, in certain arrangements and novel constructions ot' the various co-operating parts ot' the coupler, as will be fully un-4 near its' point of union with the pin, is provided witha lug, b, the under side of which is notched. D represents a strong uprigh t., which is so mounted in the upper wall of the drawbar as to have a vibratory motion to and lfrom pin B, and the upper end of which is designed to engaged'in the` notch` of the lug b, thereby holding .the'pin free from the chamber of the draw-bar, and preventing a 'coupling from loeing electedlwhen it is desired,y as is often-the case, to bring cars together without so doing.

The moment the pin B is slightly raised, up-l he'ad, the functions o'f which will hereinafter `fully be'shown. I vin B is raised utofthe drawbar by means pif a rod, F,'which hasits bearings upon the car-body in a p osition transverse to its length. This rod is provided withy a lifting-finger, c, the outer extremity of which passes under lug b on the coupling-pimand at its end, which extends outward to the side ot' the car, with a cross-handle, c. When lifter-rod F-iscaused to rotate, its finger will raise the pin clear of the chamber ot' the drawb'ar, and, when necessary, will give it a still' further lift, for the purpose of releasin g upright D from the notch on lug b.

. The upper wall of the draw-bar is recessed for the purpose oi' receiving a segment-shaped shelf, d, which interlocks with an actuatingrod, e, passing into the draw-head from in front, and projecting' considerably beyond its front edge. vIn its normal position, shelf d will be directly under the pin-hole in the .upper wall ot' the draw-bar, the lower end of the pin Jfinding a rest thereon 5 kbut when the cars are brought together' to be coupled the faces ot' the draw-head, striking against rods e, will force them inward, thereby thrusting shelves d from underthe pins, allowing them to fall through a slotted link, L, and effect a coupling. Both pins being supported out of the chamber of the draw-bar, I use a link-holder, G, of the form shown in Fig. 4, for the purpose of maintaining the link in a position proper for entering the chambers of the drawlbars. This device is detachably suspended, by means otl a hook, from arm E, before alluded to, as shown, and it serves as a glut for holding the cars closely coupled, hanging, as it does, between the contiguous'ends of the draw-bars.

Draw-bar A is suspended under the carin means of a rotating cylindrical or cam-shaped roller, I provided at each end with spindles, which are eccentrica-Hy arranged in relation to the. roller, which cylinder is mounted, and nds its bearings directly under the front portion of the draw-bar, either in hangers or in a casing, J, adapted to close over the lower pori tion of the said roller, which casing will be secured to the stirrup-frame by means of bolts f.

When eccentric roller I is caused to rotate by means of a hand-wheel, K', applied upon the end of a spindle extending out to the side of the car, the draw-bar will be raised in proportion to the extent of rotation imparted to the said roller, and the degree of adjustment thus obtained will' be maintained by the engagement of a pawl, L', pivoted to the s ide of `the draw-bar, with a ratchet-wheel, M, on the roller.

In practice I may, if I so elect, connect ratchet-wheel M and hand-wheel K rigidly together by means of rods 1'. In this case they will have endwise movement to and from cylinder I, and will be prevented from rotating on the spindle by means ofthe usual Wellknown spline. By this means the hand-wheel and rack will be capable of being withdrawn from the side of the draw-bar, and the cylindrical roller somewhat more easily operated.

When this construction is used the automatic return of the ratchet-wheel to an engagement with the pawl will be secured by means of a spring, S', arranged ou spindle g of the lifter, between the said ratchet-wheel and a collar, i, rigidly secured, in any suitable manner, on the saidspndle.

By drawing outward upon hand-wheel K the pawl and ratchet-wheel will be disengaged and the draw-bar raised or lowered, as the case may require, without using the hand di-` rectly for the purpose, or going between the cars. l

When the pins are raised shelf d will be returned to its normal position, and actuatingarm c protruded, ready for a second coupling, by means of a spring, j, arranged in rear of the said parts, as shown in Figs. l and 6.

What I claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car-coupling, an eccentric liftingroller, I, in combination with a vertically-vibrating draw-bar, substantially as specified.

2. In combination with a vertically-vibrating draw-bar, A, and an eccentric roller, I, for adjusting the same1 a ratchet-wheel, M, and a pawl, L, for maintaining this adjustment, substantially as specified.

3. The coupling-pin B, having prism-atie eX- tension a, in combination with the angular guiding-arm C, supporting-arm D, spring s, and liftingrod F, having fingers G', substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the abovel have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence y of two witnesses.

\ WILLIAM BISHOP.

Witnesses:

JOEL SMITH EDWARDS, THOMAS WALLACE. 

